Nestled in Nature

May 7, 2013 12:52 p.m. ET

fullscreen

Sara and Andrew Litt purchased this Garrison, N.Y., property in 2007 for $1.165 million. The mid-century home was built by modernist architect Frank Dushin, according to the Phillipstown tax assessor's office. Mr. Dushin built over 60 homes in the Hudson Valley and New York City area and was 'known as a Frank Lloyd Wright contemporary with a vision of bringing the outdoors in,' according to the Frank Dushin Society.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The home, used by its owners on weekends and over summers, sits on 10 acres of land next to a stream and surrounded by trees. 'We wanted a place that was close to the city and still felt like the country,' says Ms. Litt. The drive from their apartment in the Upper West Side to the property took 56 minutes without traffic, she says. 'When you got there you felt like you were in the middle of Vermont.'
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The couple believe the house was built in the 1960s and renovated by subsequent owners. When they purchased the house, it had a hot tub in the living room and divisions between the living room, kitchen and dining area. 'We wanted to restore it to the mid-century house it was because we liked that genre,' says Ms. Litt.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The couple added a pool and additional decking space, pictured, as part of their renovation. They created a perennial garden in place of a 'wall of trees and shrubbery,' says Mr. Litt. 'It was a little closed in, now it opens up completely to the woods around you. You have that sense of being in nature.'
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The sitting room is pictured with one of the home's three wood-burning fireplaces, set into a stone wall. The couple gut renovated the interior and removed the hot tub, which Ms. Litt says she was briefly tempted to try but didn't. They built bigger bathrooms, a new kitchen and added a skylight above the stairs. 'We wanted to open that [space] so you felt like you were outside, inside,' she says.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

Another view of the living room with double height ceiling. Mr. Litt estimates that renovation took 10 months and cost approximately $650,000. 'In some ways it's easier and in some ways it's harder when you rip everything out and almost go to the exterior walls,' he says. 'You can re-envision, re-imagine, the house in a totally different way.'
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The couple didn't change the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired exterior of the house but added two windows in the kitchen and eating area. 'You have glass all around you, as if you're out camping but with air conditioning,' says Mr. Litt. 'To me, that was always that special feeling of being in the middle of the woods.'
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

Here, the living room. Mr. Litt, 56 years old, is a radiologist and chief medical officer and Ms. Litt is a lawyer but not currently practicing. The couple are currently based in Park City, Utah.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The home is a short drive from the Manitou station on the Metro-North train line. It provided a quiet escape for the couple when they worked in Manhattan. Mr. Litt says he appreciated the ability 'to leave work stuff on the train and be here in 50 minutes, and have that really rapid shift in your life from the hecticness of the city to the peace and beauty of the country.'
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

Here, the dining room. Ms. Litt enjoyed working in the garden during the summer, while still being able to 'participate in our social life in the city.' The couple also attended the popular Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, held every summer at Boscobel, a historic estate in Garrison.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

Here, the kitchen with Miele appliances. The couple asked Abbey Darer, a New York City interior designer, to help create a 'modified mid-century' look, says Ms. Litt. 'It's mid-century modern but very comfortable,' she says. 'We really wanted it to be a place that you knew you wanted to come [to] and relax, kick in and enjoy,' she says.'
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The master suite features a stone fireplace, private deck and bathroom. 'My favorite part [of the house] was waking up in the morning and this feeling—as if you're waking up in a tree house,' says Mr. Litt.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

A private deck off the master bedroom is pictured. The roughly 2,000-square-foot house has over 1,000 square-feet of outdoor space, spread over five decks.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The home has two full bathrooms, including the master bathroom, pictured, and one half-bathroom.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

Another bedroom in the home. The couple have a daughter who lives in the city and a son in Washington D.C.. The decision to sell came after relocating to Utah. 'A 60-minute commute turned into five hours,' says Ms. Litt.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…

The driveway to the home is pictured. The property has access to a local hiking trail. 'It's a quiet retreat' says Ms. Litt. The home was listed for just under $1.6 million with Lesli Uribe of Houlihan Lawrence last year, but was taken off and relisted at the beginning of April. The purchase of furniture in the home can be negotiated.
Rayon Richards for Wall Street Journal…